So I tried my hand at coaching this fall and learned a few things along the way. I've played many sports in my life and had dozens of coaches along the way. Their personalities and styles ran the gamut from goofy new college grad to brow beating drill sergeant (complete with bulging forehead veins). Each of them, good and bad, has had a hand in shaping my feelings about sports, competition and life.Maybe it sounds a bit dramatic but for many of these kids I would be their first coach and I wanted it to be a fun and constructive experience. So each week before practice I thought a lot about my 'weekly message'. What was the best way to spend my 90 minutes with twelve 9 year olds? What skills should we practice? What drills would be most effective? And, perhaps most importantly, what should we talk about. As the season progressed I found that I repeatedly wanted/needed to talk about responsibility, respect, fun and fair play. In a word: Sportsmanship.
Most of you who read this blog have a great understanding and appreciation of sportsmanship, but do you remember where you learned it? Where did you learn the value of hard work and practice, how to handle disappointment, accepting what is and playing on and appreciating the skills of your competitors (at the same time he is kicking your butt)? I learned it from the basketball coach who ran us ragged, the track judge who took exception to foul language and the swim coach who could throw a kickboard more accurately than most ultimate players throw Frisbees. While the basic values that underlie sportsmanship are taught at home, I now believe that a true appreciation only comes from regular participation in sports.
Today I felt a tinge of satisfaction as I watched twelve 9 year olds play their hearts out for 50 minutes. I saw them suffer, struggle and scrap. They cheered for their teammates, appreciated their competitors and persisted even when they thought they couldn’t play any longer. In the end they knew they had played hard and were proud. So, even if next week we return to gazing at jet contrails, I know that it’s getting through…a little at a time.
4 comments:
I spent some time coaching, mostly junior high girls. And most of it was a ton of fun and very satisfying.
Really, the only bad memories I have from the three years involved....the parents.....
Have fun with those kiddies!
Great post, I know we had some interesting chats during the season about this .
I'm probably more influenced by the BAD coaches I have had, and striving not to be like them.
When we touch kid's lives, we influence the way they view others forever, big responsibility, no?
Sounds like you did a great job this year keeping your priorities in line.
Great work. I never had a coach (except for the spelling bee coach), but I had whatever the bookworm's equivalent is and they made a huge difference in my life. Good people helping little ones makes me very happy.
Congratulations! There's nothing better than coaching and teaching, and even more so when you're working with youth. I was a girl scout leader for 9 years and it was a life-changing experience (for all of us). Now why I decided to coach middle-aged women, I'll never know.....
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